Improvement in stringed musical instruments



rially strengthened, and enabled to sustain the strain of the strings.

@uiten tstee galant ffice'.

GUSTAV SOHLElOHEl-'OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 81,012, dated August 11, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

TO A LL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I,GUSTAV SCHLEIoHnR, of Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful ImprovementV in Stringed'Musical `Instruments and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled inthe art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which drawing-L i Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of this invention.

Figu`re 2 is a plan or top view thereof.

v Figure 3 is an inverted plan thereof.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates particularly to guitars, or other musical instruments of a similar nature, .and it .consists in the arrangement of a notched sounding-board bridge in addition to the hitchpin bridge, both bridges being secured to the surface of the sounding-board, and the notches in the sounding-board bridge are arranged in-such relation Vto the hitch-pinsthat each string, in its course Afrom the hitch-pin to the turning-pin, is deviated from a right line, whereby lall jar in the sound is avoided, and at the same time the full effect of the strings on the sounding-board is preserved.

The invention consists, also, in the'arrangemcnt of a tongue, projecting i n a downwardly-inclined direction from the under surface of the soundingboard-in such a manner that the power and brilliancy of the tone of the instrument are materially increased. i I

The invention consists, further, in the arrangement of a series of ribs on the inne'i` or under surface ofthe sounding-boardof a guitar, or other similar instrument, in such n. manner that said sounding-board is mate- A. represents the sounding-board of a guitar, or other stringed instrument of a'. similar nature. This sounding-board is-made of wood,or 'any other suitable material, in the ordinary form or shape, and to its outer surface are secured two bridges, b, as clearly shown in figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

The bridge a forms the bearings forthe hitch-pins c, and the bridge 6 is provided with a series of notches, d, to receive thev strings e'. These strings extend from the hitch-pins c to the tuning-pins, and the notches d, in tthe sounding-board bridge b, are arranged in such relation to the hitch-pins that the strings deviate from right lines in their'course fromsaid hitcibpins to the'tnnng-pins, as clearly shown in fig. 2 of the drawing. By this arrangement, each string bears hard against the side of its notch, and alljarring of the tune is avoided. The bottoms of the notches are somewhat higher than the top surface of the hitch-pin bridge, sothat the strings -bear down on said bottoms, and the full effect of the strings on the sounding-board is preserved` To the under surface of the sounding-board is secured a tongue, B, of wood, metal, or any other suitable material. This tongue extends in a downwardly-inclined direction, as shown in iig. 1, and if it is made or" wood, it may be strengthened by ribs e. By this tongue the power and brilliancy of the tone are materially increased.

The sounding-board A is .strengthened by a series of rbs,f g L, of various shapes. One of these ribs extends clear across the sounding-board, and it serves Ato support the tongue B, and `also the sounding-board bridge b.

The ribf is broad, and serves to support the hitch-pin bridge, and also to increase the bearing-surfaces of the hitchlpins. By this arrangement, a guitar, or other musical instrument of a similar nature, is obtained, which is strong and durable, and which has a more powerful and brilliant tone than similar instruments of the ordinary construction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The tongue B, attached to the lower or inner surface of the sounding-board A, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The arrangement of ribs fg L at the under surface of the sounding-board A, in combination with the bridges a b and tongue B, substantially as and for the purpose described.

GUSTAV SOHLEICHER.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KAsrnNHUnnn. 

